Genetic sources for barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>) breeding in the Volga-Vyatka region

Background. The environmental conditions in the northeast of the Russian Non-Black-Soil zone require development of barley cultivars with resistance to higher soil acidity, drought and diseases. Increased productivity in stressful environments was achieved by combining different breeding techniques, including application of cell technologies.Materials and methods. Barley accessions from the unique collection of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) served as sources of useful traits. These accessions underwent field- and laboratory-based research at the FASC of the North-East, which was targeted at the main qualities of breeding value: grain yield, growing season duration, and resistance to lodging, diseases and soil stress. Cultivation of callus tissues and regeneration of barley plants were performed in vitro on artificial nutrient media modified by adding selective agents simulating the effect of natural stressors.Results and discussion. After studying the accessions from VIR for various traits of breeding value for the environments of the Volga-Vyatka region, the following breeding sources were selected: cvs. ‘Dina’ (k‑29216, Russia), ‘Andrey’ (k‑30122, Russia), etc. for their earliness; ‘Belogorsky 90’ (k‑29770, Russia), ‘Syabra’ (k‑29917, Belarus), etc. for combined high yield and earliness; ‘Musson’ (k‑30968, Russia), ‘Fenix’ (k‑30835, Ukraine), etc. for lodging resistance; ‘Dina’ (k‑29216, Russia), ‘Medikum’ (k‑30962, Russia), etc. for disease resistance; and ‘Tandem’ (k‑30883, Russia), ‘Novichok’ (k‑30806, Russia), etc. for soil stress resistance. Besides, cvs. ‘Ekolog’ (k‑29417, Russia), ‘Conrad’ (k‑30406, USA), etc. were identified as promising for cellular breeding. General principles regulating selection of initial genotypes for barley tissue culture were formulated. Of practical interest is application of cell-level breeding techniques to cultivars sensitive or moderately resistant to stressors. Accessions from VIR’s collection have been used to develop spring barley cultivars adapted to the cultivation conditions of the Volga-Vyatka region: more than 30 cultivars through hybridization and selection, and 6 cultivars with theuse of in vitro tissue culture

Results of using cell technologies for creation of new barley varieties resistant against aluminum toxicity and drought

Results of a study of economically valuable parameters of barley regenerant lines obtained by cell selection on selective media with aluminum, hydrogen ions and polyethylene glycol are presented. Genotypes superior to the initial variety and standard variety have been identified under laboratory conditions: root length index (regenerants: 0.9–1.2 %; standard: 0.8 %) and drought resistance (regenerants: 17.8–45.2 %; standard: 8.5 %); productive parameters under growth chamber conditions (12 % increase in germination ability, 21 % increase in productive plant stand, 2.3- fold increase in grain number per ear, 1.5-fold increase in weight of grains per plant). The parameter ”weight of grains per plant” correlates with the level of alkalization of the rhizosphere zone of the investigated plants under stressful conditions in growth chamber experiments (r = 0.908). Regenerant pants are typically much less affected by phytopathogenic fungi. The genotypes screened in selective systems in vitro had advantages over the initial varieties and standard varieties in productivity, especially under provocative conditions of acid soils and moisture deficit in 2010. As a result of field tests, the genotypes of regenerant origin were identified that had consistently shown a 10.0–43.2 % higher productivity than the standard variety over several years. The proportion of varieties regenerated at the stage of competitive variety trials increased from 8.3 % (2006) to 32.4 % (2014). The varieties regenerated with high combining ability are used as the parental forms in crosses. New barley varieties Forward and Bionik have been developed on the basis of regenerant lines 917-01 and 496-07. Under edaphic stress (pH 3.8–4.5; Аl3+ 0.5–9.6 mg/100 g soil), Forward has productivity up to 5.5 t/ha and Bionik, 6.6 t/ha; which is 113–128 % higher than the standard

Accumulation of cadmium and zinc in barley regenerants on a provocative soil background with cadmium

Background. An effective way to obtain barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes stress-tolerant to cadmium, with a low level of toxic ion accumulation in grain, is the selection of cells in selective in vitro systems, based on somaclonal variability, which promotes the formation of specific and nonspecific adaptive mechanisms.Materials and methods. The object of the study was cv. ‘999-93’, developed by selection from a hybrid combination of spring barley (Luly × Conrad) × 2867-80, and its regenerated forms in seed reproductions of the 3–5th generation, induced in the process of cell selection on media with cadmium, aluminum and polyethylene glycol. The plants were grown under normal soil conditions and against a provocative background for cadmium.Results. The contribution of the environment-forming activity in the roots of the studied genotypes to inactivation of toxic ions appeared insignificant. The total removal of cadmium by plants against a provocative background increased 22.5 times, reaching 5.8–10.3 mg/kg of dry phytomass when distributed among organs: roots (91.9–93.4%) &gt; stems (5.9–7.8%) &gt; grain (0.5–0.8%). The amount of toxic metal in grain increased 11 times in the original form and 2.8–6.8 times in regenerants. The negative effect of excess cadmium in the soil on the accumulation of zinc in barley was shown. There was no gradation in the importance of organs for zinc accumulation or any presence of functional barriers preventing this. Regenerants induced on selective media with cadmium had the greatest adaptive advantages to stress: pronounced barrier functions of roots, minimal accumulation of toxic ions in aerial organs, and high seed productivity (they exceeded the original genotype by 35.5%). Adaptive reactions associated with the limitation of cadmium accumulation in plant tissues of regenerants, obtained by in vitro selections with aluminum and an osmotic, were shown to be weak

Effects of nonspecific resistance in barley genotypes obtained by cell selection

An effective way to increase the genetic diversity of plants and create sources of resistance to edaphic stressors is the selection of cells under selective in vitro conditions based on somaclonal variation. The use of somaclones (regenerant forms) of barley with resistance to increased acidity, ionic toxicity of aluminum, heavy metals and drought is promising in the northeast of the Non-Black-Soil Zone of Russia. Development of regenerants with integrated resistance to soil stressors due to specific and nonspecific mechanisms is a relevant trend.The target research material was a hybrid combination of spring barley (Luly × Conrad) × 2867-80 and its regenerant forms obtained as a result of cell selection with stressors of various nature. Plants were grown under ordinary soil conditions and on provocative backgrounds with aluminum and cadmium. The productive traits of plants, the symptoms of oxidative stress, and the environment-forming activity of the root system were evaluated.In regenerated plants obtained in callus culture on selective in vitro media with aluminum or water deficiency, an increased ability of the root system to alkalize the medium in the rhizosphere zone (by 0.2–0.5 pH units) when grown on alumina soil was revealed. Against stressful soil backgrounds, regenerative lines induced on in vitro media with cadmium or aluminum were observed to have a low manifestation of oxidative stress symptoms, tested by the intensity of lipid peroxidation and the content of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves, which provided these genotypes with higher seed productivity (1.5–3.6 times in the number of grains, and 1.5– 3.0 times in the grain weight per plant) and adaptive advantages compared to the original genotype and regenerants induced on an in vitro medium with water deficiency. It is concluded that complex resistance to soil aluminum and cadmium toxicity is formed in barley regenerants obtained in the process of cell selection on in vitro media with any of these metals

The phenomenon of the home: Metaphysics of the innermost (as illustrated by the modern Russian culture)

The relevance of the problem under study is based on the influence of the expanding globalization processes that affect the view of life of a modern man: the internal balance is lost due to feeling of chaos, rhythm of life and constant changes. In these conditions there is a tendency to de-humanize the living environment, depersonalization of living space and desacralization of human dwelling which leads to re-thinking of the Home that ensures human existence in the world. The purpose of the article is to state the necessity of new understanding of the Home as the phenomenon of culture which would confront the absolute priority of the rational, pragmatic and utilitarian through the notion of “the innermost”, through studying the transformation of the innermost within the historical context and through revealing the dialectics of the innermost and the explicit in living space of the modern culture. The lead method for studying this problem is the interdisciplinary approach that provides the possibility of comprehensive consideration of the results of philosophical, cultural, architectural and other studies. The article reveals the essence and the main philosophical-cultural characteristics of the Home and the essence of the innermost as a special super-value, specifies the traditional image of the innermost in living space related to the Home as the centre of existence and reveals the attributes of transformation of the innermost in the Home resulting from the processes which are characteristic of the modern age. The materials of the article can be useful for developing the scientific-methodological support of general and special courses, for conducting lessons in philosophical-cultural disciplines and for usage for designing and modeling the living environment. © 2016 Shupletsova et al

Effect of salt stress on plants of wild-type <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i> L. and transformants with a choline oxidase (<i>cod</i>A) gene

Background. Soil salinity is one of the limiting factors for plant growth and productivity. The areas of saline lands increase annually, so it is important to study the mechanisms of plant resistance to salt stress.Material and methods. We studied the effect of salt stress on tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) of the wild type (‘Samsun’) and the transgenic line Cod 38 obtained by introducing the сodA gene, encoding bacterial choline oxidase, from Arthrobacter globiformis. Salt tolerance of the compared genotypes was assessed according to the growth indicators and the ability to preserve the pool of photosynthetic pigments under model salt stress conditions (150 mМ NaCl). The sensitivity of plants to salt stress was analyzed using biochemical tests that reflected the intensity of peroxidation processes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase).Results. The survival rates and biometric characteristics of transformants under salt stress were significantly higher than in wild-type plants. Under the impact of salt stress, the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the leaves of ‘Samsun’ plants decreased 1.5 and 1.3 times, respectively. Contrastingly, transformants under the same conditions showed a tendency to increase the pool of plastid pigments. A peculiarity of transgenic plants was also the reduced malondialdehyde content in their leaves, which indicates a low intensity of lipid peroxidation during salinization and can be explained by the functioning of endogenous glycine betaine as a compound with a multifunctional effect.Conclusions. It was shown that the transformation of plants with the bacterial gene of choline oxidase, followed by the accumulation of the protein product of the codA gene – glycine betaine, even in a minimal amount, was accompanied by positive effects on tobacco plants under salt stress conditions

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Carrier for a Cell-Mediated Drug Delivery

A number of preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficiency of mesenchymal stromal cells to serve as an excellent base for a cell-mediated drug delivery system. Cell-based targeted drug delivery has received much attention as a system to facilitate the uptake a nd transfer of active substances to specific organs and tissues with high efficiency. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attracting increased interest as a promising tool for cell-based therapy due to their high proliferative capacity, multi-potency, and anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. In particular, these cells are potentially suitable for use as encapsulated drug transporters to sites of inflammation. Here, we studied the in vitro effects of incorporating synthetic polymer microcapsules at various microcapsule-to-cell ratios on the morphology, ultrastructure, cytokine profile, and migration ability of human adipose-derived MSCs at various time points post-phagocytosis. The data show that under appropriate conditions, human MSCs can be efficiently loaded with synthesized microcapsules without damaging the cell’s structural integrity with unexpressed cytokine secretion, retained motility, and ability to migrate through 8 ?m pores. Thus, the strategy of using human MSCs as a delivery vehicle for transferring microcapsules, containing bioactive material, across the tissue–blood or tumor–blood barriers to facilitate the treatment of stroke, cancer, or inflammatory diseases may open a new therapeutic perspective

Environment-forming activity of barley regenerants root systems in the conditions of acid soils toxicity

Regenerative lines of barley 917-01, 781-04, 441-05, 530-98 obtained by cell selection on acid selective media with aluminum, were evaluated with regard to the original sorts 999-93, Novichok and standard Bios 1 in the laboratory, vegetative and field experiments. The dynamics of changes in the medium acidity by the roots of barley seedlings and their biometric indicators against the control (pH 6.0) and stress (pH 4.0 and pH 4.0 + Al3+ 20 mg/l) backgrounds were studied in the aquatic culture. Regenerated 917-01 and 781-04 were alkalinizing water actively (by 2.4-2.5 pH units) against the background of intensive root growth compared to the control (43%) and biomass accumulation (10%). The solution acidity of Novichok and its regenerantive genotype 441-05 was changing slightly. In vegetation experiments, the environment-forming activity of the regenerative line 530-98 in changing the acidity and content of free aluminum in the zone of the rhizosphere was studied. On soil background with pH 3.9 and A13+ 5.6 mg/100 g of soil the level of alkalization reached 0.7 units of pH at decrease in amount of free aluminum by 4.23 mg / 100 g of soil that 1.8 times exceeded the similar indicators of the standard Bios 1. With stress intensification, the increased productivity of the regenerant relative to the standard up to 2 times was revealed (by 0.66 t/ha on the soil background at pH 3.7 and Al 21 mg/100 g of soil). In favorable conditions of cultivation, the productivity of regenerants decreased relative to the standard. In the competitive tests the regenerative genotypes 917-01 and 530-98, possessing high medium forming activity of the root system, were among the best breeding numbers. Line 917-01 received the status of the sort (the Forward). Not all regenerants possessed breeding value. Selection in vitro of Al- resistant sort Novichok has not led to positive results. The conclusion about expediency of involvement in cellular selection of genotypes with low level of stress resistance and potentially high adaptive variability has been made

Barley variety 'Forvard' of regenerant origin

The results of breeding work on the creation of high-yielding spring barley varieties that are resistant to increased content of aluminium ions in acidic sod-podzolic soils with use of regenerant lines RA 917-01, RA 780-04, RA 781-04 from original genotype 999-93 were presented. Seed progeny of regenerated plants in generations R3 - R7 were evaluated in laboratory and field experiments. In a roll culture it was showed an excess of root length index by 9.3 - 29% for the genotypes of regenerant origin compared with the standard and the initial variety. In field tests the advantage of all regenerant lines on the level of productivity and yield in drought conditions of 2010. The productive indicators of RA 780-04 and RA 917-01 were higher than in favourable 2009. Based on regenerant line RA 917-01 a new variety of spring barley Forward was created. The variety has high productivity, resistance to complex of abiotic and biotic stressors.Variety Forward is recommended for use in acidic sod-podzolic soils of the Volga-Vyatka region. In competitive varietal tests the yield of varieties was made up 6.17 t/ha that is on average 0.61 t/ha higher than the previous standard. During two years of state tests (since 2014) on the stations of the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Republic Forward exceeded standard variety Dina by 0.16 t/ha at yield of 2.74 t/ha. Cultivation of the variety 'Forvard' allows to reduce cost price by 7.2-11% and to obtain net income 21.4 up to 33.7 thousand rubles/ha (in prices of 2015) in dependence of growing conditions

INCREASE OF BARLEY TOLERANCE TO TOXICITY OF METALS AND OSMOTIC STRESS USING CELL SELECTION

The reaction of barley in callus cultures has been studied using ions Cd2+, Mn2+, Al3+ and PEG as osmotic. Analyzing amount of doses for crop survival, lethal and sublethal metal concentrates were found:  manganese (350 and 250 mg/l, respectively), cadmium (30 and 10 mg/l), aluminum (42 and 20 mg/l). Optimal schemes have been suggested to select callus lines tolerant to a complex of stresses.  To select a line resistant to complex ion toxicity, it has been recommended to use ions of cadmium (20 mg/l) during a proliferation period and ions of manganese (200 mg/l) during a period of morphogenesis. Ions of aluminum (20-30 mg/l) can be used during both stages of callus tissue development, supporting survival of callus and frequency of plant regeneration. To choose callus with total tolerance to ion toxicity and osmotic stress it’s advisable to apply osmotic (10% of PEG) only during a period of morphogenesis, during a proliferation period it’s possible to use aluminum (20 mg/l) with ions of cadmium (20 mg/l) or ions of manganese (200 mg/l). Using the developed scheme of selection we received 50 plants-regenerators of barley for applying them as starting material in crop selection